Those are just a few of the sentiments etched for eternity in the brick-laden Heritage Walkway on the campus of Wayland Baptist University, slated for dedication on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 1:30 p.m. as part of homecoming festivities.

The walkway project began in 1998 as part of the Spanning the Centuries Campaign, with an invitation to faculty, staff, students, alumni and other friends of the university to purchase engraved bricks. The idea was to provide a scenic, well-lit walking path that would also serve to unite Hutcherson Center and Harral Auditorium with the remainder of the campus.

"The walkway is kind of a spin-off of the memory walks they used to do at Wayland when I was a student," explained Joe Provence, Director of Alumni Services and a WBU student from 1957-60 and 1966.

"Almost every year at homecoming, they'd pour a new sidewalk on campus and the guests and students would be able to sign their name in the concrete. Over the years, though, a lot of those sidewalks have been torn up for construction projects."

Provence said the Heritage Walkway provided an attractive way for students and others to memorialize their days at Wayland while serving an important function on the campus. He said many alums and others have purchased the engraved bricks in memory or in honor of loved ones or fellow alums, adding to those mentioned on the walkway over the years.

The Heritage Walkway begins just past the front entrance of Hutcherson Center and continues past the north side of the Harral Auditorium Complex, turning to meet the main sidewalk just outside Owen Hall. It is lined with bricks taken from Matador Hall, and features concrete benches, lights, oak trees and engraved bricks. A plaza area toward the beginning of the walkway features engraved granite pavers and several benches.

Provence said the walkway is a perpetual memorial, since bricks can be added for many years. For information on adding a brick to the walkway, contact the Office of Development at 291-3427.